


running from the past (tripping on the now)

by ellalopez



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Carulia, F/F, Post-Season/Series 04, julethief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:01:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29471373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellalopez/pseuds/ellalopez
Summary: peeling her fingers off his wrist, shadowsan glances at her in mild amusement. “can you not guess who?”he’s smiling. shadowsan issmilingbecause of this mysterious person that had somehow solved the mystery of her mother and wrapped it all up in a neat little present for her.“jules,” she speaks aloud, gathering her thoughts. she can’t help the grin stretching on her face, the awe in her voice. “i should’ve known.”-OR, carmen realizes that julia is the one who found her mother, and goes to thank her.
Relationships: Julia "Jules" Argent & Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep, Julia "Jules" Argent/Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep
Comments: 21
Kudos: 247





	running from the past (tripping on the now)

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys! enjoy mine and [flo's](https://yyuppys.tumblr.com) gift to you, a fix-it fic of the finale featuring her wonderful art! happy belated valentine's day <3

**THE** plain manila folder lies on the table like a gift, but Carmen can’t bring herself to pick it up.

Her fingers graze the cover, and she runs them over the red stamped CONFIDENTIAL and the paperclip holding the inside contents together. Her father’s name is scrawled messily on the tab, beckoning her to open it and reveal what she’s been dying to know from the start.

Her hand freezes just as she goes to flip open the cover. Shadowsan watches her carefully but stays silent, letting her figure it out on her own.

Tears brim in the corner of her eyes before she can stop herself and then she’s crying, shoving the folder as far from her as possible as she curls up on the couch. She squeezes her eyes shut, tears running down her cheeks and lungs heaving.

“I can’t do this,” she chokes. “What if she’s not there when I show up? What if she doesn’t want a professional thief for a daughter? What if she-”

Shadowsan gets up and joins her on the couch, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. On instinct, Carmen squirms away, then shudders and relaxes because this is _Shadowsan,_ her family. He’s not _them_ , not a part of the Faculty members who had stolen her empathy from her.

“I’m- I’m sorry,” she stutters, her head spinning. “This is-”

“Everything you’ve ever wanted and everything you deserve?” Shadowsan prompts gently, rubbing her back. “Carmen, you’re allowed to be selfish.”

She sobs harder. It’s stupid because a part of her _knows_ she deserves this, to have something for herself, but she forces the desire down on impulse. She’s fought for everyone else her entire life, dedicating the years to stealing from other thieves and trying to keep everyone safe.

“The non-profits and the orphanages. They’re counting on me,” she says, blurting out excuses. Shadowsan gives her a look, his eyebrows furrowed.

“The ones you’ve donated millions to? I am sure that they will be just fine.”

“They’re going to run out one day,” she challenges weakly.

“And you’re not leaving permanently, are you? Nothing is stopping you from coming back. Team Red is still your family, Carmen,” he reminds her. She sniffles, shaking less than she was before. “Whenever you choose to return, the metaphorical and physical doors will be wide open.”

Carmen inhales, then exhales, holding his gaze. “Just one visit, and I’ll be back.”

“It’s up to you,” Shadowsan replies instantly, his eyes kind and filled with warmth. “Take as much time as you need. Your mother will adore you, just as we do.”

He stands and takes the folder, offering it to her once more. This time she accepts it, hugging it to her chest. “Can you tell Chief I said thank you?” she says hoarsely.

“Not Chief, Carmen. She assigned someone to retrieve this for you, yes, but she is not the one you should be thanking.”

Curiosity burns inside her immediately, and she leans across the couch, grabbing his wrist.

“No secrets, not between us.”

“Of course,” Shadowsan nods. Peeling her fingers off his wrist, he glances at her in mild amusement. “Can you not guess who?”

He’s smiling. Shadowsan is _smiling_ because of this mysterious person that had somehow solved the mystery of her mother and wrapped it all up in a neat little present for her.

It wasn’t Player, she knew that. He would have told her on comms and sent the file to her through encrypted text. It wasn’t Zack or Ivy either; the two of them probably would’ve jumped on her in excitement and waved an address on a sheet of paper in her face. That left the agents of A.C.M.E, Chase and Zari and-

It hits her, realization flashing across her face. Wide-eyed, she stares at the file with fresh insight, everything suddenly making so much sense. Shadowsan doesn’t deny or confirm anything and disappears upstairs, leaving her to absorb the news and read alone.

“Jules,” she speaks aloud, gathering her thoughts. She can’t help the grin stretching on her face, the awe in her voice. “I should’ve known.”

By the time Shadowsan comes back downstairs, Carmen is gone, and so is her coat and hat. Her laptop replaces the spot on the table where the file was, a singular tab left open.

Shadowsan studies the screen, and on it are flight results from their warehouse in San Diego to Poitiers, France. He shakes his head fondly and shuts the laptop closed.

Out the window, Carmen glides through the sky towards the airport, silhouetted against the setting sun. Player guides her from her earpiece, and she makes her way to France.

~*~

It’s the next evening when she arrives in Poitiers. The city is beautiful, with ancient history and historical significance flowing from the architecture. After getting a quick but filling dinner from a street vendor, Carmen roams the city, hands in her pockets. It’s nice without the pressure of a caper or heist, and Player eagerly points out popular tourist attractions as she goes.

“Red, you have to check out the Cathedral St. Pierre,” he gushes, sending her pictures on her phone. “Or the Église Notre-Dame la Grande. They’re essentially both old Roman Catholic churches, but the _history...”_

“Later, Player. We’re here on _super_ important business,” she laughs. She can hear him stick his tongue out at her over the comms like a child, and she gladly returns the gesture, well aware that she’s in public. Someone passes by and looks at her strangely, to which she just smiles and finger-guns back. 

“Right. A ‘thank you’ message you could’ve sent through an email instead of booking the next flight to France is an extremely grave matter, my apologies,” Player sasses. Fueling his teasing, the two of them banter as she keeps walking in the direction of Julia’s apartment. She was likely getting dinner or stuck at work, so there’d be plenty of time for her to prepare.

Carmen stops by a flower shop, the same one she’d gotten her roses from a year ago, and pays for a lovely arrangement of assorted flowers. Bundles of yellow daffodils and ivory daisies crowd amongst the cellophane, her choices after the shop owner told her that they represented new beginnings. ( _“Google says it’s legit, Red.”_ ) Donning her signature outfit, she carries them with caution as she swings across buildings, basking in the calm of the city at night.

Julia’s apartment is hidden in one of the smaller neighbourhoods, but she’s been here enough times to recognize it. She balances the bouquet in the crook of her left arm and aims her hook for the correct building (it’s taller than the others), squinting as she fires. She’s yanked into the air, and with a resounding thump, she lands on Julia’s balcony, adjusting the bouquet carefully.

As expected, Julia isn’t home, the curtains drawn and balcony doors locked. It’s impossible to keep a master thief out, though- especially one who scored the highest in Infiltration 101- so Carmen sets the bouquet on the ground and works on picking the lock.

She pokes around for a minute, and then there’s a satisfying click, signaling her success. She’s able to slide the doors open and step inside the living room. It hasn’t changed from the last time she visited; there’s no new furniture, and everything is in the same place.

She tosses her coat and hat aside, splashes of red against the brown of her couch. She starts to search for a vase or pot for the flowers, but Julia seems to only have food containers at best. The vase that she does have is occupied by a half-dead spider plant, wilting at the edges. Grimacing, she places the bouquet on the table, and pours a glass of water for the poor plant.

“Maybe I should visit more often if this is how Jules treats her plants,” she comments to herself, putting the now empty glass in the sink. Player chuckles and cuts out, giving her privacy.

Carmen paces back and forth in the apartment, anticipating Julia’s arrival. She hadn’t really drafted a speech in advance, considering this was an impulse trip, so the panic was gradually setting in.

She knew she had to thank her, that was for certain. How _could_ you properly thank someone for giving you the key to all you’ve dreamed of having for years? The flowers wouldn’t cut it, so she had to express her thoughts coherently enough for her to know just how grateful she was. She couldn’t charm her way through this like their usual conversations; she would have to be honest with her feelings. Julia had gone to all this trouble of analyzing airport surveillance images and monitoring for any appearances for _her_ , expecting nothing- not even credit- in return.

She’s so engrossed in her thoughts that she doesn’t hear the doorknob twist and see the hallway light flooding the doorway. There’s a squeak, and the familiar metal jangle of keys clatter to the floor. Carmen turns at the noise and meets Julia’s shocked eyes and the white knuckles gripping the table.

“Uh. Ms. Sandiego- I mean, Carmen. Hi,” Julia stammers, waving awkwardly at her. She flicks the lights on, illuminating the apartment. “What are you doing in my living room?”

“Needed to talk to you,” she shrugs, pulling the crumpled file out of her hoodie. She stands up, approaching where the agent is frozen by the table, and sets it on top of the bouquet. Julia blinks owlishly, still gaping, and her eyes dart to the folder.

“ _Oh_ ,” she breathes, understanding. “I... didn’t think they’d tell you. I was fine remaining anonymous when they had asked me.”

“I guessed, actually,” Carmen says softly. “Thank you.” It’s not what she wants to say- well, it is- but it doesn’t encompass every emotion she’s feeling right now like her heart can’t contain it.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Julia blushes, removing her coat and loosening her tie. She’s in her A.C.M.E uniform, having come straight from work, and she kicks off her boots as well. While she’s distracted, Carmen grabs the bouquet and presents them to her in a flourish. She gasps, admiring the dazzling white and golden bursts of colour and inhaling their fresh-cut scent.

“Carmen, these were not necessary,” Julia protests. “I did this because I knew how much it meant to you, not for flowers and rewards. Plus, I don’t know where I would put them-”

“You’re still going to call me Carmen?” she interrupts her, mid-sentence.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Julia looks genuinely puzzled by the question, tilting her head at her adorably.

“Well, you did the research, so you know my given name now, don’t you?”

Julia smiles, eyes bright behind her glasses as she answers her.

“You’ll always be Carmen Sandiego to me,” she whispers, earnest and unwavering. Carmen swallows, dropping the bouquet back on the table. She doesn’t quite know what she’s doing, but she gravitates towards the agent, placing her right hand on her cheek. Julia leans into her palm, looking at her like she’s the only person in the world, and Carmen can feel her chest tighten.

Julia waits for her response, ever patient. She’d wait for her forever, she thinks.

“Thank you,” she repeats, speechless. Julia laughs quietly, face still cupped in Carmen’s hand. The pose is a bit too intimate to be doing randomly in the middle of her apartment, but she doesn’t mind, and she knows Carmen doesn’t either.

“You’ve already thanked me several times. It was the least I could do.”

Carmen stares at her in wonder, lips parted as she tries to form actual words that aren’t her eternal gratitude.

“Why did you do it? All I’ve done over the past six months was hurt people- I hurt _you,_ Jules. You didn’t have to give this to me- I’m not sure I deserve it,” she mumbles. Julia’s reaction is immediate, grasping her left hand with her right.

“Take that back,” she warns jokingly. “Haven’t we established that what V.I.L.E did to you wasn’t your fault? I know you’d never intentionally hurt me, Carmen.”

“It doesn’t excuse what I did to you,” she argues. “I threw you across the floor and didn’t even find you to apologize.”

It does sting a bit, that part of it, a detail Julia has spent the recent few weeks agonizing over. The impact of the beam that had landed on her head had given her a minor concussion, and she had a bruise or two that was still not fully healed. Carmen never showed up to see her or bothered with a note, and it had hurt almost more than the injuries themselves.

“That… wasn’t kind of you,” Julia says slowly. “I would have expected a hospital visit, or a text at the bare minimum.” Carmen winces at the reminders of her less than amicable behaviour.

“I was being a coward,” she admits. “I... do this a lot, distancing myself from others so I can’t harm them any further. I cared- I _care_ about you, and I didn’t want to ruin you, so I left.”

“I think your absence ruined me more than your presence would have,” Julia mutters, her words a weighted confession. Carmen sighs and goes to retract her hand from her cheek, but Julia stops her, covering her hand with hers.

“I’m sorry,” Carmen says helplessly. “If I could go back and change things-”

“You would?” Julia cracks a smile, gazing at her. “Except it’s in the past, and unfortunately, our society is not technologically equipped for time travel yet.” Carmen snorts at that, eyes crinkling with mirth. “The only thing we can do is look ahead to the future and see what it has in store.”

Carmen makes up her mind, then, tugging the agent into a hug, throwing her arms around her. Surprised, it takes Julia a second to relax into it, but eventually she hugs her back, resting her head on her shoulder. They stay in that embrace, and Carmen’s voice is muffled, buried in the fabric of Julia’s suit when she finally speaks.

“Jules, will you... come with me?” _To see my mother,_ she doesn’t have to add.

Julia rests her hand at the curve of her back, a gentle reassurance that she’s right there with her. No matter where Carmen was, hopping from country to country, or where she wanted to go, she knew she’d follow her anywhere.

“Always.”


End file.
